Many feelings such as
sadness, anxiety and anger are caused and kept alive by the conclusions that we
make. Sometimes we make wrong conclusions over and over because we get stuck in
mind traps that rob us of our ability to be logical. Here are some of the
thinking traps we can fall into.

All-Or-Nothing Thinking

Trap: You see things only in extremes. You donít see any middle ground. You
conclude something or someone is an extreme such as good or bad, wonderful or
horrible.

Example: ďIf Iím not a total success then Iím a horrible failure.Ē

Escape: Recognize that things often exist in degrees. Rate the
current situation on a scale of 1 to 10.

Catastrophizing

Trap: You think the very worst of a situation even when there are other
possibilities. You overreact.

Example: ďMy heart is beating fast! Iím having a heart attack!Ē

Escape: Look at the real probabilities. Focus on evidence that the
worst did not happen, that things might not be as bad as they seem.

Arbitrary Inference & Temporal Causality

Trap: Drawing a conclusion without having evidence to support it. Believing that
if two things happen around the same time then one causes the other.

Example: ďNobody has phoned me in the past month. That means nobody
cares.Ē

Escape: Recognize the faulty logic. List other things that could have
been the cause.

Overgeneralization

Trap: Believing that if something is true in one case, it's always true. Making
a sweeping conclusion about things such as your ability, performance, or worth
on the basis of a single incident.

Example: ďI made a mistake on that project. Iím such a failure.Ē

Escape: Look at the evidence or proof. Is there evidence that it is
not true?

Mind Reading

Trap: You jump to a conclusion on the basis of what you assume someone else is
thinking.

Example: ďHeís thinking that Iím an idiot.Ē

Escape: Realize that the person may rather than must be thinking that
way. Consider other interpretations of the situation. Ask the person.

Filtering or Selective Abstraction

Trap: Paying too much
attention to one or more negative details instead of seeing the whole picture.
Only looking for negatives such as failures, mistakes, weaknesses, dangers, etc.

Example: ďNobody has
ever been nice to me.Ē

Escape: Take time to
remember your successes and recognize your abilities. Keeping a log or diary of
these may help. Ask yourself if you are ignoring some aspects of the situation.

Self-References

Trap: You are
convinced you are the centre of

everyoneís attention.
They are especially looking at your mistakes.

Example: ďThat person just smiled. That means she is laughing at me.Ē

Escape: Look for evidence that it is and is not true. Remind yourself
you are not the centre of the universe.

Emotional Reasoning

Trap: You are sure something is true just because you feel it so strongly, even
if there is evidence that it is not true. You feel it, therefore it must be
true.

Example: ďI felt hurt when he said that. That means he wanted to hurt
me.Ē ďBecause I feel afraid there must be danger.Ē ďBecause I feel sad,
everything is hopeless.Ē

Escape: Acknowledge your feelings but ask yourself what thoughts are
causing them. Consider evidence that it is and is not true.

Excessive Responsibility

Trap: Feeling guilty and responsible for misfortunes that are beyond your
control. Relating outside events to yourself when there is no basis for such a
connection.

Example: ďIf he gets angry itíll be all my fault.Ē

Escape: Consider other possible causes. Remind yourself that just
because you could have prevented something, this doesnít always mean it was your
fault.

Labeling

Trap:
You place yourself or someone else in a negative category by applying a
permanent or rigid label. This is not based on looking at all the data.

Example: Iím a loser.
Heís a jerk. Sheís an idiot.

Escape: Remind
yourself that a personís actions in one moment donít define that whole person.
Open your mind to seeing both the positive and negative sides of yourself or the
other person. Tell yourself that even though you believe you have the person (or
you) all figured out, there are people who donít see that person in the same
way.

Poisoning the Positive

Trap:
Something positive happens and you find a way to dismiss it or turn it into a
negative.

Example: You do
something well and you convince yourself that it doesnít count. Your friend
givesyou a compliment and you tell yourself that sheís just after something or
is trying to manipulate you.

Escape: Give yourself
permission to accept the positive this time. Experiment for one day by finding a
positive side to every negative thing that happens.

Magnification or Minimization

Trap:
You exaggerate or downplay the significance of an event rather than seeing it
realistically.

Example: I absolutely
have to get this project finished today or my career is over. Even though it
went well this time itís not good enough.

Escape: Put it in
perspective. Ask yourself how youíll look back on this in 1 or 5 years from now.

Fortune Telling

Trap:
You expect that a certain future event will be negative and you act as if itís
already true even though there is no evidence to support it.

Example: Before
starting a new activity you think that it will be too hard so you donít even try
it.

Escape: Tell yourself
that your negative expectation is just one possibility and then think of other
possible outcomes. Remind yourself of a time in your life when things turned out
better
than you
expected. Keep a record of your forecasts and see how accurate you are.

I Should

Trap:
You motivate and punish yourself by focusing on how you think you should be rather than how you
actually are. Then you feel guilty.

Example: I should be
able to do this without having problems concentrating and that means Iíll never
get well or Iím useless.

Escape: Tell yourself
youíd like it if you could live up to all your shoulds but that for now you can
survive without it.

They Should

Trap: You continually
impose your standards or expectations on others by thinking about how they
should
act. Then
you feel angry.

Example: They should
know how I feel and help me more.

Escape: Let go. Tell
yourself youíd like them to be different but that you can choose to accept
reality.

Unfair Comparisons

Trap: You keep
comparing yourself to exceptional or unusually successful people. You set unfair
standards for yourself.

Example: I have less
money than Bill Gates so Iím a failure. Iím not as attractive as (your favorite
movie star) so Iím ugly. Iím not as popular as (the most popular person you
know) so Iím not likable.

Escape: Start
comparing yourself to regular people. Have somebody help you set realistic
standards for yourself. How are you doing compared to other people with the same
problems and life circumstances?

Thoughts as Things

Trap:
You have a thought about something and start to believe that it must be true
just because it came into your mind.

Example: I canít do
anything right. I think my friend doesnít like me.

Escape: Tell yourself
that it is just a thought, not reality. Remind yourself that there are other
ways of looking at the same thing or situation and that you donít want to be so
closed minded.

Cognitive distortions were originally
described by Dr. A. Beck in 1963.